Backpacking in Mexico; volunteering in India; surfing in South Africa; relaxing in Thailand – the current generation is travelling a lot and preferably in regions far away, on the other side of the globe. You can learn languages, gain “intercultural competence“, meet interesting people. Back at home the travellers draw on the experiences they gained and tell their family and friends of the fantastic beaches and the great hospitality. But isn’t it weird to travel around the world while the majority of the global population isn’t able to get neither a flight ticket nor a visa? Doesn’t tourism in the Global South* rather stand for a neocolonial age than for liberty and borderless mobility?

“Ready for Take-off!” Everyone knows these famous words of pilots confirming their preparedness for departure. Condsidering my finding on a recent flight, I would add: “Ready for boredom!” Because this is what one might experience high above the clouds…

“Ready for Take-off!” Everyone knows these famous words of pilots confirming their preparedness for departure. Condsidering my finding on a recent flight, I would add: “Ready for boredom!” Because this is what one might experience high above the clouds…